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Mans, 1923.y f Re. 15,555 5. A. wRvAGG 5 mRoPLANE original Filed' 00,5 21, V1915 5 sheets-sheet 2 Mar. 6, 1923. y n Re.`15,`555

f C.l A. WRAGG AEROPLANE original F11edoct. 21, 1915 :s sheets-sheet s' ggg Reissued Mar. 6, l1923.

UNITED STATES i Re. 15,555`

CHARLES ARTHUR WRAGG, F MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.'

AEROPLANE.

Original No. 1,209,923, dated December 26, 1916, Serial No. 57,062, led October 21,. 1915.l

Application for reissue led December 117, 191'8. Serial No. 267,969.

To all whom t may concern.' j

Be it known that I, CHARLES ARTHUR IVRAGG, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 355 Post Office Place, Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of

which the following is a specification.

This yinvention relates to certain improvel0 ments in aeroplanes and such like flying machines and refers more especially to machines heavier than air that lis broadly to machines which are sustained by their forward motion though it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to lighter than air machines such as dirigibles having projecting planes or vanes.

In aeroplanes a wide range of flying speeds is regardedv as one of the most desirable attributes because of the benefits derived from the abilityl to rise from or alighty withinrestricted areas without interfering with the higher limit of speed of vwhich the machine is capable. High speed flying has therefore to a large extent resolved itself into a question of landing safely and this point has become more difficult as the maximum speed isy increased.

The speed of flight is nter alia. governed by three factors-(a) surface area of the planes (b) camber thereof and (c) angle of incidence or attack.

The object of this invention is to provide..

means whereby each of these three factors may be varied and adjusted relative to and inconjunction with each other with a view to modifying the control of the flight speed,

y j and sustentation and thereby a greater variety for range of speeds is obtainable, In

one embodiment of my invention I accomplish this object by providing a plurality of two or more main planes `(either flat or cambered) arranged in series one vbehind the other the leading edge of one being in 46 line with the trailing edge of the one in front of it with means whereby the space between any two planes may beadjustably inclosed to provide an increased surface area in conjunction with means whereby the rear- 50 ward plane may be adjusted in angle of incidence relative to the forward plane so that notonly is a modification Veffected-in the angle of incidence but also the camber of` the vplanes taken together as a whole. I

may also provide means for. modifying and adjusting the angle of incidence or area orboth the angle and the area of the tail plane in relation to and in conjunction with the aforesaid modifications of the main plane area and angle of incidence thereof.

This invent-ion will now be more fully described aided by a reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings inA whieh` Figure 1 is a side elevation' in outline of an aeroplane embodying this invention showing the two main planes in section with the space between inclosed as used for slow speed fiying. Fig. 2 is a. detail sectional view of the two main planes showing the space between open as used for high speed flying., Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectionv of the leading plane showing the mounting ofthe movable shutter therein. Fig; 4 is a cross section of the two main planes showing a'modified tilting arrangement for the rear or trailing plane; Fig. 5 is a-,plan of the same. Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9are detail views of the main planes showing the mounting of' an additional shutter in the rear of the trailing plane. Fig. 10 isa diagrammatic side elevation. showing the adaptation of the invention to a biplane. Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the cabane showing mechanism devised for adjusting the angle of incidence of the rear or trailing plane. Figs. 12 and 1,3` are side elevation and plan respectively of mechanism devised for adjusting and controlling both the angle of incidence of the planes and the operation of the `shutter A adapted to inclosethe space between the two main planes. Fig. 14 is a detail view show- Fig. 1 the main plane-is divided intol two or more separate planes A and B (or parts-of a main plane) with a space between', the leading edge B of the rearmost plane B being in a direct line with the trailing-edge A of the forward plane that is -to Say in snch'a position that when the space is inclosed a more or less continuous plane is ef# fected. i

edge of the rearmost plane B whereby the j space between the two planes A and B may be relatively inclosed to any extent as required and thesurface area .'thereby correspondingly increased. 1 v

1n order to further increase the area of the plane surface I provide a sliding plane or shutter D fitted between the surfaces of the trailing edge of the rear plane B as shown in Figs. 6, 7 8, 9 and 10. This sliding shutter D may be operated simultaneously with the sliding plane C or if desired this shutter D may be operated independently.f

The foremost plane A is rigidly connect ed tothe body of the machine as at present while the'rearward plane B is hinged at B2 and adapted to tilt with a view rto adj usting its angle of incidence. Any suitable mechanism may be adopted for this purpose; one

convenient Wayis shown in Figs. 2. 11, 12E

13 and 14. For this purpose the said rearward plane B is connected toa vertical adjustable or movable cabane E which coniprises a rectangular framework mounted' on vertical guides E upon the body of the machine the planes being connected by wires E2 (see Figs.' 1 and 11) to the said frame E. The framework or cabane E is capable of vertical adjustment (see Figs. 11, 12' and 13) whereb the angle of incidence offthe rear plane is regulated as required. For this purpose a screwed vertical i spindle F vis mounted at its lower end in a footstep bearing F and adapted to pass through a screw threaded nuit Fz attached toa transverse bar or rod E5 of the cabane E, while formed on or attached to each vertical side bar of the cabane E is a slotted bracket F3 adapted to receive the end of one of the bars B3 of the rear plane as shown in Figs. 11,12 and 14. The aforesaid screwed spindle F is furnished with a miter wheel F,Jgearing with a miter wheel F5 and adapted to be operated through the medium of sprocket" gearing G by the hand wheel G.

'In Fig. 4 the rear-plane is shown as balanced, that is to say it is so mounted that it is hinged or capable of tilting upon a line a short distance back from its leading or forward edge B. The shutter C in-this case is adapted to move backward until it registers or meets the line of the forward edge of-the rear pla-ne B the supporting webs of the forwardcr leading plane A being extended back to the tilting or hinge line of the plane vB and being accommodated in slots B* as shown in Fig. 5. When the space be-V tween the two planes A and B is inclosed by the aforesaid shutter C it will be seen that the effect of a. complete single plane is pro duced and that by the adjustment of the angle of incidence of the rear or trailing plane B corresponding adjustment is made in the camber of the said complete pla-ne taken as a. whole.

In order to operate the sliding shutter C between the planes A and B simultaneously with the operation of adjusting the angle of incidence of the rear plane B wires or the like H passing about suitable pulleys H are connected to the front and back edges of the-shutter or plane C and these wires H are connected to a pair of hinged arins J which `are pivot/ed to the machine frame and adapted to be operated by the raising and lowering of the cabane E by pins J' projecting from the i-'e-rt-ical bars of :the cabane E and 'passing through a slot J2 formed in the said pivoted arm J as shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13. Thus it will be understood that at whatever angle of incidence the rear plane B is set, the sliding shutter or plane C isy simultaneously moved the required distance in order to increase or decrease the area of the main plane in relation to the angle of incidence or in other words the camber of the complete plane taken as a whole. Similarly the sliding shutter D mounted on thel trailin edge of the `rear plane B may. be operate in any `convenient manner and preferably in conjunction with and in relation to the adjustment of the angle offincidence of the said rear plane B. InFig. 9 this sliding plane Dv is shown as operated by a rack D connected to the shutter D and gearing with the rack pinion Dz which is operated by the wire D3. Further- Vmore in conjunction with the aforesaid means for adjusting the area and angle of incidence of 'the vmain planes, I provide means for n'lod-ifyino the area and the angle of the tail plane K (see Figs. 15 and 16).v For this purpose I provide sliding shutters L one upon either side of the tail plane K adapted to move out from`the side of the said tail plane 'K and thereby increase its 'area as shown by the dotted lines invFig. 15.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for effecting this movement of the shuttersL such as project-ing racks K2 secured to the inner edges of the pla-nes K and gearing with rack pinions K3 and operated by the wires' K4 paing operated simultaneouslyY with the operation of the sliding planes C and D in the main planesV A and B.

Means are lalso provided for adjusting the angle of the tail plane in relation fto Vthe area Y of the same and position of the eleva-tor K about the pulleys These sliding shutters L are adapted to be tor (see Fig. 16) while at the, desired position forward at the meeting point 0f the tail plane K and the body of the machinel is a vertical screwed rod M mounted in a foot step bearing M and engaging a nut 'M2 secured `to the tail plane. This screwed rod is adapted to be operated in conjunction with the adjustn'ients of the main plane and the movableshutters C andl) and L by suitable means such as by a wire M passing about a pulley M4 mounted on the rodM.

I claim 1. In an aeroplane having two planes arranged one behind the other with a space between, means whereby the spacey between may be bridged by a substantially rigid member to thereby increase the plane area.

2. In an aeroplane having two planes arranged one behind the other with a space between. means whereby the space between may be bridged completely to thereby provide an increased surface area, means being provided whereby the surface area of said trailing plane may be adjustably increased,4

and means being further provided whereby lthe said trailing plane may be adjusted in angle of incidence 'relative to the forward plane.

In aeroplanes two main planes Aarranged one behind the other the leading edge of one being in line withthe trailing edge of the other with a space between, the forward or leading plane having a sliding shutter adapted to inclose the said space and thereby increase the surface area, the rearward or trailing plane being hinged or tilting, with means for adjusting and regulating the angle of incidence thereof in conjunction with the movement of the said shutter, substantially as described.

4. In aeroplanes two main planes arranged one behind the other the leading edge of one being in line with the trailing edge of the other with a space between, the forward or leading plane having a sliding shutter adapted to inclse the said space and thereby increase the surface area, the rearward or trailing plane having a sliding shutter whereby the surface area of the same can be adjustably increased and means for adjusting and regulating the angle of incidence of the trailing plane.

5. In aeroplanes the combination of a forward or leading plane and a rearward or trailing hinged or tilting plane and a sliding shutter between thesaid planes with mechanism for adjusting the angle of the rea-r or trailing plane and for operating the sliding shutter, comprising a vertical sliding frame or cabanejconnected to the traiting plane, a screw rod mounted on the machine frame and adapted to engage a. nut on the sliding frame. or cabane and furnished with a toothed wheel gearing with a toothed pinion mo'untedon a driving shaft, hinged Aenclose. the said space.

arms hinged to the machine frame and connected to the cabane and operating draw wires attached to the shutter, substantially as described.

ln aeroplanes the combination of a forward or leading plane and a balanced rearward or trailing plane and a sliding shutter between the two planes, with the means for adjusting the angle of the rear or balanced plane in conjunction with and in relation to` the movements of the sliding shutter, substantially as described.

T. In an aeroplane having two planes ar ranged one behind the other with a space between, the combination of means whereby the space between may be adjustably enclosed to provide an increased area., means whereby the trailing plane may be adjusted in angle of incidence relative lto'the leading plane, and means alsov for adjusting the area of the tail plane.

8. In aeroplanes the combination with a forward or leading plane and a hinged or tilt-ing rearward or trailing plane with a space between, with means for inclosing the said space toA increase the surface area of the two planes, of a, tail plane having adjustable side shutters adapted to increase the area of the said tail plane, substantially as described.

' 9. In an aeroplane, the combination with a forward plane and a rear plane having a space between, means for rigidly and completely bridging the space between the two planes to thereby increase the pla-ne area to 100 the extent of the bridge, and mea-ns for adjusting the angle of incidence of the rear plane.

10. In aeroplanes the combination with a forward or leading plane and ahinged or 105 tilting rearward or trailing plane with adjustable shutters adapted to increase the surface area. of `the said planes, of a tail plane having adjustable shutters adapted to increase the surface area thereof substantially 110 as described.

l1. In aeroplanes the combination `with a forward or leading plane and a hinged or tilting rearward plane with adjustable shutters adapted to increase 'the surface area of 116 the said planes, of a tail plane having adjustable shutters adapted to increase the surface area thereof and means for adjusting the angle of incidence of the saidA tail plane substantially as described.

l2. In aeroplanes, the combination of a leading plane A. trailing plane B, with a space between, sliding-shutter C adapted to means for operating the sliding shutter means for tilting the 125 said plane B, a sliding shutter D adapted to' increase the surface area of the trailing plane BA with means for operating the same, and a tail plane K with means for adjusting the angle thereof, sliding shutters L adapted 130 to increase the. area of the tail plane K and means for operating the same, substantially as described.

13.111 a flying machine, a plane consisting of a. forward section and a rear sertion separated therefrom by a space` and an additional plane. member operable to bridge said space to thereby increase the rigid plane area. of the machine.

14. In a Hying machine, a plane structure embodying two sections arranged one behind CHARLES ARTHL'R WRAGG. 

